Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. SBGI -3.12% said Wednesday it will change divestiture plans for three television stations to sweeten its chances of winning approval for its acquisition of Tribune Media Co. TRCO 1.41% and appease criticism from U.S. regulators.
Sinclair said it would find a different buyer for stations in Dallas and Houston instead of Cunningham Broadcasting Corp. and it will acquire Tribune Media-owned WGN in Chicago.
The move comes after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said on Monday in a written statement he had “serious concerns” about Sinclair’s $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune Media and took action to block the deal. Mr. Pai said the proposed divestitures by Sinclair to meet FCC media-ownership regulations would leave the company in practical control of those stations “in violation of the law.”
Sinclair on Wednesday said it has been transparent “about every aspect of the proposed transaction.”
“The FCC’s reported concerns with sales to certain parties have been eliminated in light of the withdrawals of the applications relating to Dallas, Houston and Chicago,” Sinclair said in a statement. The company also called on the FCC to approve the deal “to bring closure to this extraordinarily drawn-out process and to provide certainty to the thousands of Tribune employees.”
Shares of Tribune rose 2.9% in early trading, while shares of Sinclair were down 0.5%.
Write to Kimberly Chin at kimberly.chin@wsj.com